WJPA Sports

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes put together his second straight solid start, keeping San Diego hitless until the sixth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 7-1 win over the Padres. Skenes struck out six and walked two in 6 1/3 innings while lowering his ERA to 5.54. The Padres’ first of two hits against the 23-year-old was a clean single to left by Fernando Tatis Jr. with one out in the sixth. Xander Bogaerts homered in the seventh to end Skenes’ night. Oneil Cruz hit a two-run double off Nick Pivetta in the fifth and Nick Gonzales added a two-run single to start a five-run eighth for the Pirates.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are optimistic about a long-term contract with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, but general manager Ben Cherington says they’re not there yet. The 19-year-old Griffin made his big-league debut in a win over Baltimore on April 3. While Cherington says some of the ingredients are in place for a deal to be made, he declined to offer a timetable on when it might happen. Griffin impressed with an RBI double in his first major-league at-bat before cooling off quickly. Cherington said Griffin is dealing with the transition that every player faces when they reach the majors and that he’s confident Griffin will make the necessary adjustments required.

Fernando Mendoza, expected to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, will watch the NFL draft with family and friends in Miami, someone with knowledge of the quarterback’s plans said Tuesday. That person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Mendoza hasn’t made his plans public. The draft will take place in Pittsburgh starting on April 23, and many top players will be there to receive congratulations and a hug from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But players, even those who are drafted first, sometimes prefer to watch from a different location.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy thought winning the Masters was one of the greatest days of his career. Returning as the champion is also pretty sweet. He has been taking what amounts to a victory lap ahead of the Masters. And then he gets back to the golf in time for the opening round on Thursday. McIlroy says a weight has been lifted off his shoulders by finally getting that green jacket in his 17th attempt. He expects a difficult test this week, with a forecast for hot and dry weather. McIlroy is trying to become only the fourth back-to-back winner at Augusta National.